Ghana secures US$87M financing for poultry and feed value chain

GHANA – Ghana has secured more than GH¢1 billion (US$87 million) in financial commitments to strengthen domestic poultry production, with funding targeting critical parts of the value chain, including animal feed, day-old chicks, equipment, processing, storage and veterinary services.

The financing, announced on September 7 under the government’s 24-Hour Economy programme, is intended to improve access to capital for poultry businesses while addressing supply constraints that continue to drive Ghana’s dependence on imported poultry.

The programme places feed production alongside hatcheries, farming and processing as a priority investment area, strengthening the integration of Ghana’s domestic poultry supply chain.

The initial financing phase, valued at about GH¢300 million (US$26.45 million), will involve Absa, Fidelity and Ecobank. 

The government plans to mobilise additional funding as the programme progresses.

Feed supply central to poultry expansion

Ghana’s poultry sector continues to face a major domestic supply deficit. 

Government data show that the country consumed about 324,047 tonnes of poultry meat in 2022, while domestic production stood at only 15,000 tonnes, covering approximately 4.6% of consumption.

The gap has sustained high demand for imported poultry and placed pressure on the competitiveness and expansion of local producers. 

Industry estimates put Ghana’s annual expenditure on imported poultry products at nearly US$400 million.

Expanding domestic feed production will be important to efforts to increase local poultry output, as feed remains one of the highest operating costs in poultry production and directly influences production efficiency and farm profitability.

The 24-Hour Economy programme will therefore seek to provide financing structured around poultry producers’ production cycles, alongside technical and business-management support.

“The funds are available, but we need to put the appropriate structures in place to mobilise these funds and deploy them effectively across the entire sector,” said Arnold Parker, head of financing at the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat.

The secretariat will also work with research institutions, including Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, to support productivity improvements across the sector.

US$270M poultry transformation programme

The latest financing commitment follows the US$270 million National Poultry Transformation Programme, formalised in August through Heads of Terms between Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat and four investment partners.

The programme, which includes Agrium Capital, Petra Trust, Axis Pension Trust and Ghana EXIM Bank, will integrate feed production, breeding, hatcheries, broiler farming, processing, cold-chain infrastructure, logistics and market access.

The first phase aims to increase annual domestic broiler production from about 20,000 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes and create 12,000 direct jobs.

The inclusion of feed manufacturing at the start of the integrated platform is expected to strengthen domestic feed supply while linking feed production directly with hatchery and broiler operations.

Together, the two initiatives signal a growing push to develop Ghana’s poultry industry through investment across the feed-to-farm-to-processing chain, with the broader objective of reducing poultry import dependence and retaining more value within the domestic market.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.